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Samson and Delilah

Australia

2009

101 Min
Color
1.85:1
Aboriginal, English
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
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DIR Warwick Thornton

PROD Kath Shelper

SCR Warwick Thornton

DP Warwick Thornton

CAST Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson, Mitjili Napanangka Gibson, Scott Thornton, Matthew Gibson, Steven Brown, Gregwyn Gibson

ED Roland Gallois

PROD DES Daran Fulham

Cannes (Un Certain Regard): Caméra d'Or, Toronto (Discovery), Telluride (The 'Show'), London (Film on the Square), São Paulo, !F Istanbul (Hit Films)

Synopsis

Samson, a cheeky 15-year-old boy, and Delilah live in an isolated Aboriginal community in the Central Australian desert. In amongst a tiny collection of houses, everything here happens in a cycle. Day in and day out – nothing changes, everything stays the same and no one seems to care. The two teenagers soon discover that life outside the community can be cruel. Though hungry and rejected Samson and Delilah fall in love. It is all they have. It is real. And when tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn’t always fair, but love never judges. —Cannes Film Festival

Wall

Displaying 4 of 12 wall posts.
Picture of Dimitri

Dimitri

23Mar12

Poetical elegance.

Picture of Kestas

Kestas

4Mar12

The first truly great film about relationships I have ever seen (at the Kaunas Film Festival). Saw some really good films on the same subject since (In the Mood for Love stands out), but htis film remains in my all-time all-genres top-5.

Picture of Ari Ernesto MamaYukero

Ari Ernesto MamaYukero

19Sep11

The film that tells a lot by not saying a lot. A great piece of art.

Picture of Mysterious F.

Mysterious F.

15Aug11

Beautiful, unsettling, and otherworldly. An impressive debut.

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Fans

Displaying 5 of 82 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

"Red," "Jackass 3D," "Conviction," More

By David Hudson on October 15, 2010

The film of the week would have to be Olivier Assayas's Carlos, and the roundup of raves carries on right here. So, too, does the one for Clint

read article
W184

ND/NF 2010: "My Perestroika," "The Father of My Children," "Samson and Delilah"

By David Hudson on March 24, 2010

Screening Thursday as part of the New Directors / New Films series at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA are Robin Hessman's My Perestroika

read article
W184

The Auteurs Daily: Telluride Lineup

By David Hudson on September 3, 2009

  The Telluride Film Festival, opening tomorrow and running through Labor Day, has unveiled the lineup for this year's 36th edition

read article

Australia pushing SAMSON for Oscar

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
It’s pretty rare for an Australian film to meet the Oscar eligibility criteria for Best Foreign Language Film, so when it happens and a film is pushed forward by the filmmaking authorities, everyone gets
read on Twitchfilm.com

Australia pushing SAMSON for Oscar

By Twitchfilm.net on July 16, 2010
It’s pretty rare for an Australian film to meet the Oscar eligibility criteria for Best Foreign Language Film, so when it happens and a film is pushed forward by the filmmaking authorities, everyone gets
read on Twitchfilm.net

Lists

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Reviews

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

By milkand​honey on June 15, 2010

What can I say about Samson and Delilah? It’s bleak, depressing, gritty, tender, sweet and funny. With barely a word of dialogue spoken throughout you’d be forgiven for thinking it would struggle…  read review

Your eyes are making me laugh … Samson & Delilah

By jaredmo​barak on December 30, 2009

I’d say that the tagline of ‘True Love’ is a tad misleading. Granted, the young romance at hand is what got me invested in the tale, but the absolute squalor in which they live—not to mention the toxic…  read review

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